American Chop Suey (New England Style)
American Chop Suey (New England Style) is a comforting, classic hug on a plate that makes me remember my Nana fondly with every bite. This is a dinner that comes together in just 30 minutes. It’s the perfect meal to enjoy on a cold winter day. The tomato based sauce is so light because it is made with tomato juice instead of a tomato sauce. The ground beef, green pepper and Worcestershire sauce compliment this macaroni dish perfectly.
American Chop Suey is my favorite dinner to cook and to eat on a chilly New England winter day. In the thick of the wintertime, it definitely starts to feel like you have more cold and gray snowy days than nice summer days.
This is one of those amazing dishes that warms your soul and your body from the inside out. And a huge bonus is that this dish comes together in under 30 minutes. On particularly frigid and miserably awful winter days, I look forward to eating this meal all day with some Quick and Easy 5-Minute 5-Ingredient Garlic Bread. Can you tell I’m not a fan of New England winters?
I was born and raised in Massachusetts so you think that I would adjust but no ma’am. Winters are my least favorite. And I swear my bones are feeling more and more arthritis-y with each passing snowfall haha. This dish is something that I love making on the coldest of days. It’s served hot from the stove and it’s much heartier than a soup but much lighter than a pasta dish. It’s the perfect combination.
There are a few ingredients that make this American Choy Suey (New England Style) extra special. First of all, Worcestershire sauce. Worcestershire sauce is something that has a very unique and powerful flavor. I don’t use it very often but it really brings out the beefiness when you’re dealing with beef. That is an ingredient that you should not skip when making this dish. Worcestershire sauce is also my shining star ingredient in The Most Delicious 5-Alarm Chili.
Secondly, this recipe calls for tomato juice and not a pasta sauce. That makes this dinner a lot more light and not as heavy feeling as a traditional pasta meal. You won’t even miss the combo of tomato sauce and pasta in this American Chop Suey. The mix of the canned diced tomatoes and the tomato juice will leave you very happy and satisfied.
Step by Step Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and add ground beef. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Brown beef for 5 minutes. Then, add garlic, green pepper and onion. Cook for about 8 minutes until the beef is browned and the vegetables have softened.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and set aside.
Return the large pasta pot to the stovetop and add cans of tomato juice and diced tomatoes. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried parsley flakes, crushed red peppers and Worcestershire sauce.
Add the drained elbow macaroni and ground beef mixture to the pot. Stir for about 3 minutes until mixed completely.
What’s your favorite cold day comfort food? Let me know in the comments below!
American Chop Suey (New England Style)
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Pound ground beef
- 1 + 1 Teaspoon salt
- 1 + 1 Teaspoon black pepper
- 5 Cloves garlic chopped
- 1 Green pepper chopped
- 4 Tablespoons onion chopped
- 1 Pound elbow macaroni
- 12 Ounces tomato juice
- 14 Ounces diced tomatoes
- 1 Teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 Teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- ½ Teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and add ground beef. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Brown beef for 5 minutes. Then, add garlic, green pepper and onion. Cook for about 8 minutes until the beef is browned and the vegetables have softened.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Return the large pasta pot to the stovetop and add cans of tomato juice and diced tomatoes. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried parsley flakes, crushed red peppers and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add the drained elbow macaroni and ground beef mixture to the pot. Stir for about 3 minutes until mixed completely.
